Abstract

Botha Theunis, Paul Silsulu, Dale P. E. and Oliver Godwin

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and metabolic syndrome (Mets) and their associations with 1930 - 1945 years of global crisis and cardiovascular risk factors in Central Africans. The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted on Central African patients born between 1930 and 1977. Mets was diagnosed using WHO criteria. Of 407 patients, 262 (64. 6%) and 77 (18.9%) met the criteria of LBW and Mets, respectively. There was association between birth during 1930 global crisis and 1945 second war period; adulthood hypertension, low economic growth, high pulse pressure, type 2 diabetes, decline of renal function, hypercholesterolemia, left ventricular hypertrophy and LBW. There was a Ushaped relationship between current body mass index and Mets in all patients and men, but a linear relationship between current body mass index and Mets in women. Coronary heart disease (OR = 2.3 95%CI 1.1 - 4.8; P = 0.024), LBW (OR = 10 95%CI 3.9 - 25.5; P < 0.0001), elevated fibrinogen (OR = 3.5 95%CI 2 - 6.1; P < 0.0001) were the independent risk factors of Mets in all patients. LBW effect on Mets was lower in men (OR = 7.5 95%IC 2.6 - 22.1; P < 0.0001) than in women (OR = 18 95%CI 2.3 - 37; P = 0.005). In a separate multivariate analysis for only continuous variables, Mets in all patients was independently determined as follows: Y = -1.523 + 0.003 fibrinogen + 0.01 total cholesterol - 0.001 birth weight. LBW, coronary heart disease, malnutrition, elevated fibrinogen, total cholesterol and urea nitrogen may be considered as additional components of Mets in the African patients born between 1930 and 1945 and more in women than in men.